simpson



(No Model.) 2 sheets sheet 1.

R. A. SIMPSON. HAY PRESS.

No. 584,751. r Patented June 15, 1897.

fw I A UNTTED STATES PATENT Trice.

RUFUS A. SIMPSON, OF FLORENCE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO GEORGE J. NADEAU,OF SAME PLACE.

HAY-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,751, dated June 15,1897.

Application fil d November 23, 1896. Serial No. 613,209. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUFUS A. SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Florence, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hay-Balers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention particularly relates to improvements in vertical presses,and has been applied by me to the press known in California as theMonarch press. This press is provided with a plunger which moves frombelow upward and compresses the charge in the upper portion of thechamber.

The especial object of my invention is to provide means for feeding thepress in such a manner that one man will be enabled to feed the presswhere before it required two men to do the same work, and at the sametime to make the operation less laborious for the man doing the feedingthan it was for the two men to do it formerly. 1

Another object of my invention is to so adapt and arrange the press thatthe feedchamber may be filled while the plunger is on its downwardmovement without allowing the hay to enter the press beneath theplunger, thus enabling me to not only decrease the number of menrequired to form the crew, but to so economize time that the capacity ofthe press is greatly increased.

My invention comprises the various features of construction andcombinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, whereby Iaccomplish the objects above set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective side elevation of a press embodying myinvention. In this view the platform upon which the hay is depositedbefore being fed to the press is removed in order to avoidobstructingthe view. Fig. 2 is a vertical mid-section of the press andfeed-chamber. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the press.

In the drawings, A represents a press which is of the vertical type andis provided with a plunger or follower a, which reciprocates in thepress-chamber in the ordinary manner.

C is a feed-chamber which is arranged on one side of the press, and B isa door or shutter arranged to intermittently move back and forth throughthe feed-chamber. The bottom of the feed-chamber is provided with twoslots 0 0, through which project bracketarms C, which are rigidly fixedto the shut ter and pivotally secured upon a cross-shaft D, which iscarried by vertically-arranged swinging levers E, which have their upperends pivoted to suitable supports E, project ing from the top of thepress. The means for operating theshutter comprises duplicate sets oflevers, one set arranged upon each side of the press-chamber. So adescription of one will suffice for both.

Each side wall of the feed-chamber is provided with a slot C, throughwhich projects a pivot-pint, formed by the end of a rod 7), which issecured to the top of the shutter 13.

To the press is secured one end of a link F, and to the other end of thelink is secured one end of an operating-lever G, the other end of whichis pivoted upon the pivot 12. The lever E and the lever G are connectedwith each other by means of a cranlcpivot I-I, so as to allow the leversto slide or shear past each other while they are being swung to carrythe shutter to and fro.

A flexible connection, such as the chain J is secured to the upper endof each lever G, passed toward the rear over a pulley K, secured uponthe press, thence down over a pulley K and inward to the rear of themachine, where the two members are attached to each other. From thispoint a single chain leads outward and is attached to a short lever L,which is pivoted to the horsepower frame M at one side of the pivotalcenter m of the power-lever M, which operates the press. To thispower-lever is attached a projecting pin m, which is adapted to engagewith the short lever L when such lever is in the position shown in Fig.1 and the shutter or door B is retracted to open the feed-chamber. Bythe rotation of the lever M the lever L will draw endwise out ofengagement with the pin when the lever L has been carried a sufficientdis tance to fully close the shutter.

In order to prevent the hay which is placed in the feed-chamber fromentering the press before the plunger is fully retracted, I provide asuitable sliding door N, which is provided with a guiding-stem a,working through guides at, to cause it to slide vertically up and downin the feed-chamber. To each side of this door is secured a flexibleconnect-ion N, which passes over pulleys O O and down and has its otherend secured to the plungeroperating mechanism P, so that as the plungeris retracted from the position shown in Fig. 1 the flexible connectionoperates to raise the sliding door, and as the plunger is forced upwardto compress the hay in the balingchamber the flexible connection isreleased to allow the door to slide down into the chamber and tointermittently cut off communication between the feed-cha mber and thepresschamber. Upon each side of the press is arranged a suitable dog orcatch Q, which catches its respective pivot 12 and holds the shutterfully closed while the plunger is moving upward. The rear end of eachdog projects into the path of the plunger-operating mechanism, so thatwhen the plunger has passed above the top of the shutter the dog isreleased by the plunger-operatin g mechanism and allows the shutter toopen.

To the top of the shutter is secured a rearwardly-projecting slide orshelf B, which is adapted to close the top of the feed-chamber when theshutter is closed, so that the man who is feeding the press may placehay upon the slide when the shutter is fully closed, and when theshutter swings open, by reason of the catches Q being released from thepivots Z), the slide passes from beneath the hay and allows it to dropinto the chamber.

R is a platform upon which is placed the hay to be baled. This is doneby means of a derrick-fork in the ordinary manner, and a cross-rod R isarranged a slight distance above the top of the feed-chamber, so thatwhen the shutter opens the hay which has been placed upon the slide Bwill by means of the rod be prevented from being carried to the rearwith the slide, and the hay will thus be caused to fall into thefeed-chamber.

In operating my improved press we will suppose that the feed-chamber isopen, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and The man who feeds the press takes hisposition upon the platform R and fills the feed-chamber C full of hay.Then the power is operated to bring the projection m into engagementwith the lever L, and thus such lever is swung away from the press,drawing upon the flexible connection or chain J, which in turn drawsupon the levers G, which in turn operates the levers E and causes theshutter B to swing through the feed-chamber and to carry the haytherefrom into the presschamber. As soon as the dogs Q, engage with thepivots b the power operates to start the plunger upward in the press,thus to compress the hay into the upper portion of the press. By reasonof the difference in the pivotal points of the levers L and M as thelever M moves onward the projection m slides along the lever Ii until itreaches the end, when the lever is released and swings back into itsnormal position,leavin g the chain J slack, so that the shutter mayswing open when the dogs Q are released from the pivots Z). hen theplunger has moved upward a sufficient distance to bring it above the topof the shutterB, the plunger-operating mechanism P engages with the dogsQ and releases the shutter. In the meantime the operator has continuedpiling hay upon the slide or shelf B and theupward motion of the plungerhas relaxed the flexible connections N, which are attached to thevertical sliding door. The door is then supported only by the slide orshelf B, and as soon as the dogs Q are released the first outwardmovement of the shutter carries the shutter from beneath the slidingdoor N, and it drops down into the chamber 0 in advance of the hay andclosing the entrance to the press, while the shelf B swings from beneaththe hay piled thereupon and allows the hay to drop down into thechamber. In the meantime the plunger has been operated to fully compressthe hay in the press and is released, thus allowing the plunger to beretracted, and as the plunger is retracted it draws upon the flexibleconnections N and raises the sliding door N, thus opening the entranceto the press. The door holds the hay back a sufficient dis tance fromthe press to prevent the hay from entering the chamber beneath theplunger before the plunger is fully retracted. As soon as the plunger isfully retracted the projection 0% upon the lever M is again brought intoengagement with the lever L, and the shutter or door B is again operatedto feed the hay from the feed-chamber to the press. The operation iscontinuous, and by reason of allowing the man who is feeding to placethe hay upon the slide while the plunger is moving upward and downwardmuch time is saved and a large amount of labor is avoided.

In constructing the baler for use with my improvement I dispense withone side door of the press and replace it by planks S, rigidly securedin place by means of the usual cross-beams S, excepting that I move theupper cross-beam upward to above the top of the press-chamber and leavecracks s between the planks S in order to allow for convenient tying ofthe bales. This avoids the inconvenience heretofore encountered inplacing the tying bands or wires in this class of presses. Heretofore ithas been necessary to either open the doors upon both sides of thepress-chamber before passing the wires or bands around the bale or toclimb on top of the press and shove the wires down through between thebale and the stren gthening-beam, which is not only laborious,but alsoconsumes much time. By my improved construction after the first chargeis compressed the wires are passed through the press above the top ofthe charge, and by reason of the beam being above the top of the chamberit is entirely out of the way of the wire, which may IDC be pulledthrough and passed through beneath the bale after the last charge hasbeen compressed, after which the door upon the rear side of the press isopened and the ends of the bale-tie secured together.

Now, having described my invention, what .I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a hay-baler, the combination set forth of a vertically-arrangedpress; a feed-chamber arranged at one side of the press; a shutterarranged to move back and forth in said chamber and to feed hay fromsuch chamber to the press; a movable support adapted to temporarilysupport the hay above the chamber when the shutter is closed; means foroperating the support; and suitable means connecting the shutter withthe power, and arranged to operate the shutter to feed hay into thepress when the plunger is retracted.

The combination set forth of a verticallyarranged press; a feed-chamberarranged at one side of the press; a shutter arranged to move back andforth in said chamber and to feed hay from the chamber to the press;swinging levers pivotally secured to both top and bottom of the shutterand adapted to swing it back and forth through the chamber; a plungerarrangedin the press; a power for operating the plunger; and suitablemeans connecting the shutter with the power, and adapted to operate theshutter to feed hay from the chamber into the press when the plunger isretracted.

3. The combination set forth of a feedchamber; a shutter arranged tomove back and forth through the feed-chamber and provided upon one sideat its upper end with a horizontally arranged support adapted to supportthe hay when the shutter is swung to feed hay from the chamber; andsuitable means adapted to swing the shutter.

4. In a hay-press, the combination set forth of a feed-chamber; ashutter adapted to move back and forth through the feed-chamber; asupporting-lever pivoted at one end to the press and pivoted at itsother end to the lower portion of the shutter; a link pivoted at one endto the press; an operating-lever pivoted at one end to the link and atits other end to the upper end of the shutter; and a crankpivotconnecting one lever with the other.

5. In a hay-baler, the combination set forth of a press; a feed-chamber;a vertical shutter adapted to swing through such feed-chamber; asupporting-lever pivoted at one end to the press and at its other end tothe bottom of the shutter; a link pivotally secured at one end to thepress; a lever pivotally secured at one end to the link and at its otherend to the top of the shutter; a crank-pivot connecting the two leverswith each other; a chain or other flexible connection secured at one endto the top of the shutter and havingits other end adapted to beintermittently operated by the power to close the shutter.

6. In a hay-baler, the combination set forth of a vertical press; afeed-chamber arranged at one side of the press; a shutter adapted toswing back and forth through the chamber; a platform adapted to supportthe hay above the level of the top of the chamber; a slide secured tothe upper end of the shutter and adapted to close the chamber when theshutter is swung to feed hay into the press, and to swing beneath theplatform when the shutter is swung to open the feed-chamber;asupporting-lever pivoted at one end to the press and at its other endto the bottom of the shutter; a link pivotally secured at one end to thepress; a lever pivotally secured at one end to the link and at its otherend to the top of the shutter; a crank-pivot connecting the two leverswith eachother; and means for operating the shutter.

7. In a hay-press, the combination of a feedchamber; a sliding dooradapted to cut off communication between the press and the feed-chamber;a shutter adapted to feed hay, from the feed-chamber to the press;suitable means connecting the sliding door with the power and adapted tointermittently withdraw the door from the path of the shutter; andsuitable means connecting the shutter with the power and adapted tointermittently operate the shutter to feed hay from the feedchamber tothe press each time the sliding door is withdrawn.

8. In a hay-baler, the combination set forth of a feed-chamber; ashutter arranged to swing through such feed-chamber to feed hay from thechamber to the press; suitable 1evers supporting the shutter;crank-pivots connecting the levers with each other; and means arrangedto operate the shutter.

9. In a hay-press, the combination set forth of a feed-chamber a shutteradapted to swing back and forth through the chamber; twosupporting-levers upon each side of the shutter, each lever beingpivoted at one end to the press and at the other end to the top andbottom of the shutter respectively; crankpivots connecting the leverswith each other; and suitable means for operating the levers to swingthe shutter through the chamber.

10. A hay-press comprising a press-cham- IIO ber; a plunger adapted tocompress hay in such chamber; power for operating the plunger; afeed-chamber arranged at one side of the press-chamber; a shutteradapted to move through the feed-chamber to feed hay from such chamberinto the press-chamber; a sliding door adapted to intermittently cut offcommunication between the press-chamber and the feed chamber; andsuitable means connecting the door and the shutter with the power andadapted to operate the door to withdraw it from the feed-chamber, and tooperate the shutter to carry the hay from the feed-chamber to thepress-chamber after the door has been withdrawn.

11. In a hay-press, the combination set forth of a press-chamber; afeed-chamber arranged at one side of the press-chamber; a shutteradapted to swing through the press-chamber to feed hay from such chamberto the press; dogs arranged to engage the shutter to hold it closedwhile the plunger is operated to compress the hay in the press-chamber,and arranged to be Operated by the plunger-operating mechanism torelease the dogs and allow the shutter to open after the plunger haspassed above the top of the shutter; and a sliding door adapted to cutoff. communication With the press-chamber when the shutter is open.

12. In a hay-baler, the combination set forth of a vertical press; afeed-chamber arranged at one side of the press; a shutter adapted toswing back and forth through the chamber to feed hay from such chamberto the press; a sliding door adapted to intermittently cut offcommunication between the feed-chamber and the press; swinging leverspivoted to the shutter and adapted to swing the shutter through thepress-chamber; and means for operating the shutter and the door.

RUFUS A. SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

A. H. SMITH, A. D. SMITH.

